Chapter 64 (Second Update): The Sorrow of the Ghosts of Zhenhu Division
Chapter 64 Zhenhu Division's Sorrow for Ghosts
Upon hearing the noise, the old man slightly opened his eyes.
In the distance, I saw that familiar carriage, wobbling as it drove towards us.
The old man frowned. If he hadn't given that horse several jugs of wine, it probably wouldn't have been able to walk with such an unsteady gait.
To find out exactly how uncoordinated it is, you want to investigate whether it's the horse's front hoof or hind hoof, or whether both front and hind hooves are sprained at the same time, or something like that.
It was supposed to be that the girl, Bai Cen, and Zhao Tong went together...
In any case, though far away, the old man could still sense something unusual, especially the strange sound of the horses' hooves.
Anyone who has driven a horse-drawn carriage for a long time can tell something is off. This doesn't sound like the hoofbeats of a normal horse, or perhaps it's not even a horse.
The old man narrowed his eyes. He could vaguely see Bai Cen and Zhao Tong's heads among the rolling hills; they were probably driving the carriage. As for the girl...
Immediately afterwards, the old man saw Wang Sumo's head.
The old man: "..."
However, the old man had a bad feeling.
Then, the camera zoomed in, and good heavens, the old man finally saw it clearly, his furrowed brows gradually turning into silence...
Utterly speechless!
The horse is gone!
Bai Cen and Zhao Tong are pulling the cart!
The girl walked to the side.
When they went there, there were three people and a complete carriage, but when they came back, there were only three people and a carriage frame left!
The horse is gone!!!
The old man wondered if he was still half asleep and having some strange dream. He closed his eyes and lay back down, then pinched his arm hard, finally sitting up with a whoosh from the pain.
It's not a dream!
The horse is really lost!
The old man opened his eyes again, just as the two-person carriage arrived in front of him.
Only the girl fared a little better. Shuixi Village wasn't close, and Bai Cen and Zhao Tong were both panting heavily after pulling this carriage for so long.
"Where's the horse? Where are we?" the old man asked naturally.
Bai Cen and Zhao Tong exchanged a glance, then looked at Wang Sumo. Wang Sumo coughed lightly twice, clenching his fist, and calmly recounted, "We went to Shuixi Village and went in to resupply. When we came out, the carriage was still there, but the horses were gone..."
There is no more objective and concrete description than this.
That means it was stolen...
The old man suddenly felt he should go himself, but then he thought, "Wait a minute, these are the horses of Bazhenlou. You're all in the village, who can lead them away?"
How could they take it without being discovered?
The old man had hit the nail on the head. Wang Sumo, Bai Cen, and Zhao Tong exchanged glances and then shook their heads. They had already discussed this topic all the way back in the carriage, and the old man's question was tantamount to revisiting it.
Bai Cen sighed softly, "The person who stole the horse must be very familiar with the habits of horses, and not just casually, but at least someone with a lot of experience training horses, to be able to steal the horse without making a sound. Moreover, when we came out, the horse was already gone. I jumped onto the roof of the carriage and the roof to look, and although the surrounding area was hilly, it was mostly flat, with no sign of any horses. It was too fast..."
The old man frowned.
Wang Sumo continued, "We found a haystack at the entrance of the village. The haystack was hollow. The people were hiding in the haystack before. They only came out and took away the horse after they saw us enter the village, and they also left a letter."
After Wang Sumo finished speaking, he took out the letter from his sleeve and handed it to the old man.
The old man opened the letter: "I'm borrowing your horse, young lady. I've come to know you, and I will return it to you in the future."
The old man read it several times.
Beside him, Zhao Tong calmly said, "The letter uses the word 'this old man,' but what kind of old man can ride such a fast horse that he disappears in the blink of an eye, with the surroundings perfectly still and not even a speck of dust in sight?"
Bai Cen also sighed, "There's a strange vibe here, but we were in a hurry to get back and didn't stay long. So the horse was just lent out for nothing?"
Bai Cen became increasingly unwilling to accept it.
The old man was still reading the letter. Interestingly, he read it not only upright, but also upside down, at an angle, and even held it above his head to read it.
Just now, everyone saw that the old man looked speechless, but now his attention was drawn to the letter, and he was no longer angry, only curious and inquisitive.
"Grandpa, how do you see it this way?" Bai Cen gestured as if looking at it upside down.
The old man isn't illiterate; how could he possibly read it backwards?
The old man wasn't angry at all. Instead, he slowly put down the letter and inquired, "I feel that this handwriting is somewhat familiar, as if I've seen it somewhere before."
Wang Sumo and the other two: "!!!"
Isn't this a horse thief?
Instantly, three heads crowded together. Except for Zhao Tong's head, which was a little further away, Wang Sumo and Bai Cen's heads were practically pressed against the old man's cheeks.
The old man's usual standard was that he had no standard at all, and it depended on the person and his mood. He immediately glared at Bai Cen and said, "Get out of the way!"
Bai Cen slunk away and kept his distance.
But even though Wang Sumo was on the other side, the old man deliberately placed her in front of him, saying, "Girl, look, even the way this stroke ends, no normal person would write it. It's troublesome, doesn't look good, and is just plain stupid."
The three people around: "..."
This is an evaluation.
The old man indeed spun it around again, saying, "See? When you look at it upside down or at an angle, you can see some of the tricks."
"Hey!!!" Sure enough, Bai Cen actually figured it out. "This is a mark! It looks a bit awkward when viewed upright, but it's a kickback when viewed upside down, and it's locked when viewed at an angle. This is a special writing style that is usually used by people in accounting offices and money shops. Firstly, it is to prevent forgery. This kind of writing can change into different possibilities from every angle. Unless you understand the person's mind, you definitely can't forge it..."
"You know quite a lot," the old man remarked.
"I'm ashamed, I'm ashamed," Bai Cen said modestly.
This was the first time Zhao Tong and Wang Sumo had ever heard of it.
The old man continued, "Besides the fear of forgery, there's another layer: overlapping."
Overlapping?
Wang Sumo and Zhao Tong exchanged a glance, neither of them understanding.
Bai Cen continued, "Overlay writing is a type of message. Just like this letter, it could be the first overlay, or it could be the second overlay, or both. If this person is in danger and cannot leave a direct letter to the person they want to warn, they will overlay. That is, they break down the information they really want to leave for others into smaller parts, with each person's note containing a part of it. To know if they know the information they left, you have to collect all these notes together, and then you can use the extra strokes to create a new note."
Wang Sumo suddenly realized, "In other words, these seemingly strange brushstrokes, when put together, might form another sentence."
Bai Cen nodded, "That's exactly what it means, that's what repetition means."
Wang Sumo was slightly surprised. "Why not just put a piece of paper on top and write together? Why do you say that writing on top of each other is special?"
Bai Cen shook his head. “Writing them together doesn’t count as overlapping writing. So-called overlapping writing is when they appear to be written together, but they are actually written separately. The notes haven’t even been written yet, and no one else can find them. But once they are collected together, they must have already been written. These things must be precisely engraved in your mind, stroke by stroke, otherwise the strokes won’t match the next note.”
It turns out that he wrote it in multiple parts based on his impressions and memory. Wang Sumo understood that it was indeed too difficult.
"The handwriting is unique; no one could forge it. This is the hand that wrote the secret letter," Bai Cen said, revealing the truth. Then, he looked at the old man leisurely. "Old man, this kind of hand is usually found within the imperial court..."
A secret letter? Wang Sumo suddenly remembered Shanhe Town.
“Bank, accounting office, imperial court, secret letter…” Zhao Tong also crossed his arms and looked at the old man. “If you know these words together, it shouldn’t be difficult to identify them.”
The old man was indeed reminded.
"The imperial bank, the accounting office..." Wang Sumo sighed softly, "Isn't that the Ministry of Revenue?"
Bai Cen continued, "Isn't the person in charge of the Ministry of Revenue who deals with martial arts sects the Zhenhu Division?"
Wang Sumo, Bai Cen, and Zhao Tong all looked at Old Master Qu in surprise, "People from Zhenhu Division?"
They stole their horses?!
This scene is truly both laughable and absurd.
After being reminded by the others, the old man suddenly realized what was happening. He already had a fiery temper, and being nagged by the three of them like this made him even angrier. "That old scoundrel!"
This is the perfect flavor!
There's no doubt they know each other, and they must be the kind of people the old man dislikes!
However, Zhenhu Division was originally responsible for managing the establishment of martial arts sects and taxation. All martial arts sects probably both love and hate this organization.
It may only be hatred.
"Do you know him, old man?" Bai Cen leaned closer.
The old man didn't say a word. He had just cursed him as an old scoundrel, how could he not recognize him?
This brat even teased him, and the old man retorted irritably, "Get to know him!"
Bai Cen clapped his hands, "Then let's go find them if we know them! The horse has been borrowed!"
Wang Sumo and Zhao Tong both looked at him.
I heard they were from the Zhenhu Division; they even changed "stealing" to "borrowing"...
"I'm not going!" the old man said, throwing a childish tantrum.
Zhao Tong also cautioned, "There's no village or shop in sight here. If Bazhenlou loses a horse, they might not be able to make it..."
Even so, the old man still refused to go, and there was no room for discussion.
At this moment, Wang Sumo leaned closer and whispered, "Grandpa, this... isn't she also your rival in love?"
Bai Cen: "!!!"
Zhao Tong: "..."
Although the old man's eyes widened, he didn't utter any angry words.
Wang Sumo, Bai Cen, and Zhao Tong seemed to understand each other.
That's really true...
The old man simply said one thing: "I'm not going!!!"
*
The carriage was harnessed to another horse, and with a creaking sound, it turned back towards Xishui Village.
Thus, only six of the eight horses in the Eight Treasures Pavilion's army remained.
But there didn't seem to be much difference between six and seven horses; neither moved steadily. So we had to harness another horse and drive the small carriage to Xishui Village to retrieve the previous horse.
As for why the old man said the horse was still in Xishui Village, that's another story. But from the moment he spoke, the old man seemed rather awkward.
If it weren't for the fact that we were missing a horse and the Bazhenlou restaurant was stuck there, the old man would never have been willing to make this trip.
Having gone to Shanhe Town and taken such a big risk, Zhao Tong had managed to pull Bai Cen out of the city. After the first crisis, Bai Cen had become a trustworthy ally. Now, entrusting Bazhenlou to Zhao Tong's care felt safer than entrusting it to Bai Cen.
Moreover, although Zhao Tong was curious, he wasn't as eager to watch the excitement as Bai Cen and Wang Sumo!
Bai Cen and Wang Sumo were both bursting with curiosity!
So Bai Cen and Wang Sumo accompanied the old man. Bai Cen drove the carriage, and Wang Sumo rode with him. The old man stayed alone in the carriage, not letting anyone else stay there.
He probably didn't want to talk to anyone, but he couldn't resist Bai Cen and Wang Sumo's curiosity.
Bai Cen whispered, "You've known the old man for so long, has he ever mentioned him before?"
Bai Cen wanted to get to the bottom of things.
"Drive your carriage," Wang Sumo would never say.
However, Wang Sumo himself was still somewhat confused.
Before going to Qingyun Manor to see Master He, she had already pulled this stunt, which unexpectedly revealed an old story about the old man.
I don't know what got into her today, but she asked that question out of the blue, and when she saw the old man's shocked expression, she was shocked too!
Unbelievable...
Isn't it Jinniang?
Wang Sumo hadn't even had a proper chance to hear the old man talk about Jinniang's affairs yet, and now another "old acquaintance" from Zhenhu Division had appeared. She sighed inwardly, thinking that the old man had spent the last few decades discussing romantic matters amidst the bloodshed of the martial world.
The key question is, we still don't know if it's Jinniang?
Perhaps, the person connected to this Zhenhu Division isn't just Jinniang, then...
Wang Sumo's head was also buzzing with pain.
In other families, it's the parents and elders who worry about their children's problems; in her case, it's the younger generation worrying about the old man's problems...
She had to admit, she was incredibly curious about how the old man had navigated the world before.
Wang Sumo's mind was racing. Although he didn't pay much attention to Bai Cen, Bai Cen's mouth didn't stop either. Regardless of whether Wang Sumo paid attention to him or not, he started talking non-stop.
Wang Sumo let it go in one ear and out the other, not really taking it all in.
Finally, the old man couldn't stand it anymore. He lifted the curtain, poked his head out, and said angrily, "You brat! You've got nothing better to do, have you?"
Bai Cen was startled, but fear wasn't so important in the face of gossip. Bai Cen quickly said, "Grandpa, you have to give us a heads-up first, otherwise when we meet them, we won't even know what stance to take, and we'll just stand there like idiots..."
The old man roared like a lion, "What stance do you want?!"
Bai Cen felt like his ears were about to disappear!
The horse felt like its ears were about to disappear!
Wang Sumo skillfully removed her hand from her ear and calmly said, "If the old man wants to talk, he can talk; if he doesn't want to talk, he doesn't have to. You're just making a fuss!"
The old man was pleased with what he heard and returned to his carriage.
Bai Cen looked at Wang Sumo, "Boss, you're being unfair!"
Wang Sumo leaned against the carriage, "How am I being unfair?"
“We’re all in the same trench, and you’ve turned against us at the last minute,” Bai Cen accused.
"How could they be in the same trench?" Wang Sumo didn't believe it.
Bai Cen leaned closer, "Those who want to see the excitement in the trenches."
Wang Sumo: "..."
Wang Sumo was speechless.
The curtain was pulled open again with a "whoosh," and this time the old man not only showed his head but also squeezed between the two people to sit down.
Wang Sumo: "..."
Bai Cen: "..."
The old man looked at Bai Cen and said, "Go on, I'll sit here and listen!"
Bai Cen: (⊙o⊙)…
Wang Sumo almost burst out laughing.
But after all the bickering, the old man was eventually persuaded by Bai Cen's persistent nagging.
Wang Sumo gradually realized the implication; it really wasn't the Jinniang from before...
This is Ruan Niang.
She was the daughter of a high-ranking official in the capital, and her talent and beauty were once renowned throughout the city. She was the object of desire for countless handsome young men in the capital.
One year, on her way from the capital to visit her maternal grandmother, Ruan Niang encountered a landslide and mudslide. Her carriage fell off a cliff, and the servants who accompanied her either fell off the cliff or got separated. Ruan Niang happened to meet the old man who was also trapped by the landslide and mudslide.
The situation was critical, and there was no time to worry about anything else. So, Ruan Niang followed the old man all the way until the road was cleared and the guards from the capital found her.
Although Ruan Niang later returned to Beijing, this experience of traveling together brought her and the person who had quit the fan club back into contact.
"And then what?" Bai Cen was engrossed in listening, and he probably wasn't that interested in other people's gossip.
But this is the old man's image. As long as Bai Cen imagines what the old man looked like when he was young, he can't stop watching.
"There's no such thing as 'later,' once we met, we met." The old man refused to say more.
Bai Cen used a provocation tactic, "I know, someone must be interested, but they feel they're just a nobody and don't dare to confess, making the girl worry for nothing!"
"Get out of here!" the old man snapped. "What do you know! You're just spouting nonsense!"
Bai Cen urged, "Then tell me, Grandpa!"
When the old man turned to look at him, Bai Cen fell silent and obediently drove the car.
Wang Sumo didn't ask any more questions. Although she enjoyed watching the excitement, she didn't want to ask if the old man was thinking about something unpleasant...
Wang Sumo changed the subject, "Grandpa, how did you know the other party was still in Xishui Village?"
At this point, the old man's expression softened, and he calmly said, "Bai Cen stood on the carriage and looked around, but he didn't even catch a glimpse of it. Either it's incredibly fast, or it's hiding using some kind of illusion. Judging by the speed of the horses at our Eight Treasures Pavilion, they're far from being incredibly fast. Also, the surrounding terrain doesn't allow it to run so fast that it would disappear without a trace. So it must still be in the same place. Someone knows you'll definitely go looking for it, but they're in a hurry to leave and won't stay long. They just need to hold out until you leave before they go."
Wang Sumo said softly, "But Zhao Tongcha has checked and there are indeed hoofprints."
Bai Cen echoed, "Grandpa, we've considered what you've said and looked around; there are indeed traces."
The old man scoffed, "That's because you underestimated that horse thief! He's incredibly cunning, his head is like an abacus, and few can outsmart him. You were outsmarted by him."
Wang Sumo and Bai Cen were both surprised by this exaggerated description.
The old man sighed softly, "This old fox is the 'Ghost-Slayer of Zhenhu Division' that you all mentioned."
"Huh?" Bai Cen was stunned.
Wang Sumo had only heard Bai Cen mention it once, so she wasn't that surprised, but Bai Cen's expression showed the weight of the old man's words.
"What kind of 'ghost-fearing' is it?" Wang Sumo asked curiously.
The old man sighed heavily, "You'll know once you see it."
Bai Cen also said, "The martial arts sects all love and hate him at the same time. But this guy, sometimes he asks for an exorbitant amount, and sometimes he likes to torment people. In short, it all depends on his mood. If you believe that money can make the devil turn the millstone, he can squeeze all your money out of you and you won't even see him push it once; but sometimes when you feel like you have nowhere to turn, he will inexplicably lend you a hand and can even allocate silver to you from a stingy place like Zhenhu Division."
"They're still allocating money?" Wang Sumo was stunned just hearing that.
Bai Cen nodded, "Yeah, they say they support the development of martial arts sects, but if you ask how they support them, how is that judged? There isn't one! It just depends on my mood."
Haha!
Wang Sumo suddenly became very interested in this "Ghost-Slaying" official from Zhenhu Division.
"But how will he borrow our horses?" Wang Sumo adjusted his wording. He needed to adjust it now to avoid saying the wrong thing later and suffering the consequences.
"I don't know." Old Master Qu looked into the distance, thought for a moment, and then said, "I wonder if it's related to Shanhe Town..."
Bai Cen hissed softly, "There were rumors circulating in the martial arts world that the Ghost-Seeing-Sorrow of Zhenhu Division was acting arrogantly in his own territory. Some martial arts sects even went to the Ministry of Revenue to complain and ask for the Ministry's support. Normally, Zhenhu Division is under the Ministry of Revenue, so even if officials protect each other, the formalities still need to be followed. But as soon as the Ministry of Revenue heard that it was about Ghost-Seeing-Sorrow, they dismissed the sect without saying a word and even told them not to cause trouble."
Wang Sumo: ? ? ?
Bai Cen continued, "Ghost Sorrow dares to act so recklessly in Zhenhu Division, and the Ministry of Revenue doesn't dare to utter a word. Some people say that he has a very strong backer in the court, and no one dares to provoke him; others say that he himself is that very strong backer! I just don't know why he would come to this small Zhenhu Division under the Ministry of Revenue? But since he's here, the Ministry of Revenue treats him with utmost respect, so these Jianghu sects shouldn't even think about causing any trouble."
This is getting more and more mysterious~
Wang Sumo rested her chin on her hand.
Bai Cen concluded, "Before Gui Jianchou came to Zhenhu Division, the division could consult with the martial arts sects on matters. But since Gui Jianchou arrived, he has thoroughly subdued these sects. So, the peaceful martial arts world of the past twenty years is more or less related to Gui Jianchou. Anyway, no matter how much trouble you martial arts sects cause, as long as you pay your taxes, don't cause trouble, and don't harass the common people, Zhenhu Division will be fine. Over the years, many martial arts sects have been shut down, and there are all sorts of opinions, but the name Gui Jianchou of Zhenhu Division is etched in the hearts of these sects."
"Is he still in Zhenhu Division?" Wang Sumo asked curiously.
Bai Cen shrugged. "I'm enjoying my retirement now. Zhenhu Division is under someone else's control. And believe it or not, in just the last two or three years, the entire martial arts world seems to have started to become quite chaotic."
Wang Sumo glanced at him, knowing that he was talking about the disaster relief grain and the appearance of the Eagle Gate and other sects in Shanhe Town.
After listening to Bai Cen and Wang Sumo's long speech, the old man remained silent.
After the two finished their discussion, the old man silently called out a name in his heart—Weng He.
Weng He never does anything useless.
This person acts impulsively and without considering the consequences.
He's a madman...
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